Natural Selection
Werewolf Merits & Flaws
Sure, the Revised core rulebook, splatbooks and various supplements gives us enough Merits and Flaws. But a few more won't hurt, right? Just kidding about that, but I hope you find this list of traits useful for your Werewolf chronicles; feel free to drop me a line if you do, and let me know they worked out in play. But do check with your Storyteller before taking any of these for your characters, or you may face Punishment Rites.
The Curse Abated (1- to 3-pt. Mental Flaw)
Merit Created by James Walker
Mortals are more comfortable around you, and animals aren't as predisposed to fear you. This Merit is almost exclusively manifested among Children of Gaia, Stargazers and Glass Walkers; the former two find harmony and inner peace that quells their anger, while Glass Walkers actually selectively breed for the trait. For every point invested in this Merit, one is subtracted from the character's Rage for purposes of social interaction; however, the Rage is still there, and the character has the normal chances to enter frenzy.
Cusp Birth (3-pt. Supernatural Merit)
A few Garou are born in the moments just as the moon exits one phase and enters another. Not wholly of either auspice but drawing on the strengths of both, such multitalented werewolves often rise quickly in Rank and status. The only possible auspice combinations are those of adjacent auspices: Ragabash-Theurge, Theurge-Philodox, Philodox-Galliard, and Galliard-Ahroun. (So it's impossible for someone to have, say, a Ragabash-Galliard or Theurge-Ahroun combo.) Such Garou are rare, and no decade sees the birth of more than a handful.
The aptitudes, personalities and duties of the character will be a blend of his two auspices. A Rababash-Theurge's role as questioners takes him into the Umbra; instead of targeting septmates with his antics (be they pranks or more insidious activities), he challenges the roles of spirits and the very limits of the Umbra. On the other hand, a Theurge-Philodox is more concerned with judging and directing spirits, and often enjoys the patronage and servitude of many spirits. The Philodox-Galliard has unparalleled social skill, able to command respect and sway emotion, appeal to intellect and bolster others' hearts; she has excellent potential as a ritualist. A Garou of the Galliard-Ahroun cusp is a potent warriors in his own right, but with a knack for leading his fellows into the fray; even more than most Galliards, the warrior-bard take an active role in battle, and is often seen with a song in his throat even as he has a throat in his claws.
In systems terms, a character with the Cusp Birth picks two adjacent auspices. The character's starting Rage is the higher of the two auspices. The character may only pick one auspice Gift, but it (and Gifts purchased with freebie) can be from either "cusp" auspice. Additional Gifts from the two auspices can be learned at a cost of rating x 4 exp (not x 3); while spirits allied with auspices recognize the werewolf as an ally (and will teach gifts up to Rank 5), they recognize his circumstance prevent him from fulfilling the duties of either auspice fully. Finally, as Elder (Rank 5) Garou and spirits believe cusp-born Garou are destined for great things, they start with more Renown; however, they're expected to excel and to fulfill the obligations of both moons, so it's somewhat harder for them to advance in Rank thereafter. Follow the special Renown values, below.
Ragabash-Theurge: Cliath (Rank 1) [W2, any other 2]; Fostern (Rank 2) [Wisdom 4, any other 5]; Adren (Rank 3) [Wisdom 4, any other 10]; Athro (Rank 4) [Wisdom 6, any other 15]; Elder (Rank 5) [Wisdom 8, any other 20].
Theurge-Philodox: Cliath (Rank 1) [Glory 0/Honor 2/ Wisdom 2]; Fostern (Rank 2) [Glory 0/ Honor 4/ Wisdom 4]; Adren (Rank 3) [Glory 2/ Honor 5/ Wisdom 5]; Athro (Rank 4) [Glory 3/ Honor 7/ Wisdom 7]; Elder (Rank 5) [Glory 7/ Honor 9/ Wisdom 9].
Philidox-Galliard: Cliath (Rank 1) [Glory 1/Honor 3/ Wisdom 0]; Fostern (Rank 2) [Glory 2/ Honor 4/ Wisdom 2]; Adren (Rank 3) [Glory 4/ Honor 4/ Wisdom 4]; Athro (Rank 4) [Glory 5/ Honor 6/ Wisdom 6]; Elder (Rank 5) [Glory 8/ Honor 9/ Wisdom 8].
Galliard-Ahroun: Cliath (Rank 1) [Glory 2/Honor 1/ Wisdom 1]; Fostern (Rank 2) [Glory 4/ Honor 2/ Wisdom 2]; Adren (Rank 3) [Glory 6/ Honor 3/ Wisdom 3]; Athro (Rank 4) [Glory 7/ Honor 5/ Wisdom 5]; Elder (Rank 5) [Glory 9/ Honor 8/ Wisdom 8].
This Merit is limited to Garou for obvious reasons, as other Changing Breeds don't have auspices, at least not in the sense that Garou do. The auspices of the Beast Courts of Asia, for example, are more a function of capability and social standing than the mystic circumstances of one's birth.
Diluted Blood (Variable-pt. Physical Flaw)
Due to a "polluted" bloodline, weak animal Kinfolk, lack of animal blood, or some unfortunate infirmity, the character isn't as fast, tough or strong as other representatives of her Breed. Among the Garou, Bone Gnawers, Glass Walkers, Hakken and Black Spiral Dancers are the most likely to possess this Flaw, though there are a few Uktena with coydog (wolf-coyote) kin that aren't as strong as other Garou. Bubasti and Swara spawned from less-than-ideal or inbred cat bloodlines often suffer infirmity. And not a few metis of all Breeds exhibit Diluted Blood as well. Diluted Blood is ubiquitous among the Debased.
The game effect of this Flaw is to reduce Physical Attribute adjustments for non-Homid forms by 1 dot for every freebie granted by the Flaw above 1; note that this penalty applies to every form but homid. (For example, the 3-pt. version of Diluted Blood subtracts 2 dots from Physical Attributes.) Bonuses can be reduced below +0, in which case an appropriate Attribute penalty is assigned. The Attributes that are penalized are up to the character's player, but they must be chosen at character generation, and the penalties must be reasonably consistent from form to form.
The 3-pt. version of this Flaw may be taken as a Metis Disfigurement.
Fertile (1- or 3-pt. Supernatural Merit)
The character is gifted with great fertility, and is more likely to breed true. His chances of creating a child with the shifting gene is increased by 10% (so a Garou with this Merit has a 20% chance to produce a Garou offspring). If it's widely known the character possesses this quality, he'll be expected to spend as much of his time with Kinfolk as possible, so to bolster the number of his Breed/ tribe/ what-have-you; he faces pressure and even loss of Renown for not performing his duty. Black Spiral Dancers, Ajaba (and according to nasty rumors, some Shadow Lords) often skip the whole free will thing altogether, and keep their "breeders" locked in cages.

Corax, due to the special circumstances of their conception, have a special version of the Fertile Merit: they must spend only two permanent Gnosis (instead of three) when performing the Rite of the Fetish Egg.
This is a 3-pt. Merit for male characters, but only costs female characters one freebie. After all, the mother has to carry the young to term (no "badda-boom, badda-bing, I'm outta here," for them!). And such character will likely be pregnant much of the time, or expected to be.
Finally, metis characters may not take this Merit. There are rumors of ways to circumvent the infertility curse that befalls metis (though none have been verified), but it no doubt involves potent Gifts or rare rituals; a 3-pt. Merit won't cut it.
Fleet of Foot (2-pt. Physical Merit)
A Merit exclusive to Silent Striders and a few Debased, those with Fleet of Foot are built more for speed than for power. When determining statistic adjustments for non-Homid forms, a character with this Merit trade a point of Strength bonus for a point of Dexterity bonus (so Glabro grants +1 Str, +1 Dex, +2 Sta; Crinos grants Str +3, Dex +2, Sta +2, etc.). In addition, treat the character's Dexterity as one higher than it is in all forms but Homid for purposes of determining movement and running speed. (Note: Storytellers may want to give all Swara characters the latter benefits of this Merit, free of charge, to simulate their great speed.)
Focused Mind (3-pt. Mental Merit)
The character is confident and sure of her abilities, and knows when to exert herself and when to hold back her reserves. Up to three times per day, the player may choose to spend one of her character's Willpower points after the roll is made, rather than having to call the expenditure beforehand. This allows more efficient use of Willpower, allowing players to cancel unexpected botches and not waste Willpower points on rolls where the extra success isn't needed. A character can still only spend one Willpower per turn this way.
A player may not choose to spend Willpower based on the results of others' rolls, only that of his character. For example, he can choose to spend a Willpower after his character attains only a marginal success on an attack roll, but he can't spend a Willpower to cancel an opponent's single Dodge success.
A character must have at least a Willpower of 5 and a Wits of 3 to possess this Merit.
Inner Calm (2-pt. Mental Merit)
The character is filled with an inner peace his fellows envy, making it less likely for him to lose control and give in to his violent urges. A fairly common Merit among Children of Gaia, Stargazers, and those of other Shifting Breeds not given to killing things at the drop of a hat. For purposes of entering Frenzy, Rage roll difficulties are increased by 2 (maximum difficulty 10).
The player should detail this unique advantage. A Stargazer may use meditation, a Child of Gaia may interact with children and wolf cubs to reaffirm the Earth Mother's loving nature, while a Shadowlord would keep his bestial anger in check by sheer force of will. If the character is denied his focus or mental exercises, he may lose the the benefits of this Merit for a time, at the Storyteller's discretion.
(This Merit replaces the Calm Heart Merit in the Players Guide to Garou.)
Locked Form (1-pt. Physical Flaw)
It's difficult for the character to shift out of breed form. All Stamina + Primal-Urge difficulties to shapeshift are increased by 1.
Lost Beast (2- or 3-pt. Supernatural Flaw)
A disturbing phenomena only seen in the last century, some Shifters' animal heritage is so weak that they can no longer assume full animal form; a few of these weak-bloods can't even shift beyond half-form. Only homids may take this Flaw. Lost Beast is more common among Garou than other Fera, and is generally restricted to Bone Gnawers, Glass Walkers and Hakken. Due to their strong ties with their animal heritages, this Flaw is banned to Red Talons, Corax, Ratkin and Rokea. For 2 freebie points, only the animal form (ex. Lupus, Feline, Ursus) is lost; 3 freebie eliminates the ability to assume the near-animal form (ex. Hispo, Chatro, Bjornen) as well. In addition, the character may never have a Primal-Urge or Pure Breed rating higher than 1. Such freaks are derided by their fellows, almost as much as metis are.
Lost Man (2- to 3-pt. Supernatural Flaw)
A character with this Flaw has so little human blood in them that they can no longer assume Homid form (for 2 freebie), or possibly even near-man (3 points); needless to say, only animal-breed characters may take Lost Man. While considered a badge of honor among Red Talons, Rokea and certain Ratkin, this Flaw is very rare among those of other tribes or Breeds. An interesting note is that the likelihood of a Red Talon manifesting this trait, and its severity, seems to correlate with her blood purity; the greater the Red Talon's Pure Breed, the more likely she is to have this trait. While characters with Lost Man aren't able to pass for human very well at all, few of those so "blessed" want to.
Lost War Form (4-pt. Supernatural Flaw)
Due to some supernatural curse, the character has no Crinos (or equivalent half-) form. This, needless to say, is a huge disadvantage in combat. The character has access to all his other forms (such as Glabro and Hispo), though these forms do not provoke the Delirium.
For obvious reasons, Lost Crinos may not be taken as a Metis Disfigurement.
Monstrous Reflection (2-pt. Supernatural Flaw)
No matter what form the character is in, his reflection is always that of the Crinos (or his equivalent half-form). Not only does this complicate grooming and dressing, it makes going to places like clubs and casinos very tricky, and even reflective storefront windows, water or glass reveals him in all his glory. Mortals who clearly see the character's reflection aren't subject to Delirium, but are prone to ask all sorts of uncomfortable questions.
This Flaw may be taken as a Metis Disfigurement.
Natural Adept (3- or 5-pt. Merit)
The character was born with the ability to learn and use Shadow Craft (sorcery Paths), or was perhaps granted this boon through the Rite of Shadow Magic or some other force. However, her soul reflects this magical quality; to anyone who can detect magic or perceive auras, the shimmer of magic is apparent. At his option, the player may dedicate one of his character's starting Gifts to a Path (usually Mythic Numina, but Storytellers may allow Psychic Numina); other Path levels may be purchased at a cost of 7 freebie per dot.
As a 3-pt. Merit, the character has the ability to use Shadow Craft and may start with a sorcery Path (if the player devotes a Gift slot to it), but is on her own from then on. As 5-pt. Merit, the Natural Adept begins play knowing one or more Craftworkers or mortal sorcerers from whom she can learn, and so finds her advancement in the sorcerous arts easier.
This Merit is of no use to Bastet and Kitsune, who already possess a natural talent for sorcery.
Reduced Traits (Variable)
You can sacrifice points from your character's initial spread to gain points to spend elsewhere. Note that the freebie granted for dots don't match up to their costs; i.e., you won't get the same freebie for sacrificing a dot as you would have to pay to get it. But if you want that fifth Gift bad enough, you won't mind being average or inept at everything else, right? Keep in mind the 7-point limitation on Flaws.
One dot of Attribute = 3 freebie; one dot of Ability/ Virtue = 1 freebie; two dots of Backgrounds = 1 freebie; one dot of Lore = 4 freebie.
Reflexive Transformation (2-pt. Mental Flaw)
When surprised or in stressful situations (or when triggered by another type of event, determined by the player and Storyteller), the character has a tendency to assume his breed form, which can attract unwanted attention and leave him in a form unsuited to the situation. Needless to say, this can be a bad thing, especially for metis or animal-breed Fera; imagine assuming Crinos form in a mall after spilling hot coffee in your lap. When a trigger event occurs, the player may make a Willpower roll (difficulty 6); if she succeeds, her character avoids shapeshifting, though he's free to do so willingly. A failed Willpower roll forces the player to immediately make a Stamina + Primal-Urge roll for the character to assume Crinos form (and no, the player can't choose to fail the roll!), while a botch forces him to stay in that form for a number of turns equal to his permanent Rage. Note this is different from Frenzy; the character maintains control of himself unless something triggers Frenzy. While not all Bastet have this Flaw, it's especially common among them.
Short Temper (2-pt. Mental Flaw)
A character with this affliction is even more likely to fly off the handle than other Shifters, though depending on his affiliation (Get of Fenris, Black Spiral Dancers, Rokea), he and his friends might not even notice. For purposes of entering Frenzy, Rage roll difficulties are decreased by 2 (minimum difficulty of 2).
Soft Claws (2-pt. Physical Flaw)
While still dangerous, the character's natural weapons aren't as deadly as normal. This affliction affects a fair number of Children of Gaia, but they aren't the only ones that have this Flaw; a fair number of Gurahl, Nuwisha and Kitsune do as well. Her claws and teeth only inflict lethal damage, instead of aggravated damage. Gifts or effects that augment natural weapons, such as Razor Claws or Wasp Talons, merely increase the amount of lethal damage inflicted by the character's weapons, and new natural weapons created by Gifts (Gift of the Porcupine) also inflict lethal damage. However, Silver Claws, Body of Silver and effects that cause aggravated damage independently of the character function normally.
In addition, the character may suffer penalties to Glory Renown and Social die pools when interacting with those who respect combat prowess, such as Get of Fenris, Red Talons, Simba and Rokea.
This Flaw may be taken as a Metis Disfigurement.
Spirit-Kin (5- or 7-pt. Supernatural Merit)
One of the character's parents was in fact a spirit, with the other parent being a Shifter of some sort. Animal-spirits and Ancestor-spirits are popular choices, but aren't the only possibilities; some Wendigo claim Wind-spirit ancestry, legends speak of two Fianna with Stag-spirit fathers, while one prominent Shadowlord boasts being born to a Stormcrow. Nuwisha (sluts that they are!) are the most likely to possess this Merit. And rumors of horrid things being bred in the Pits of Spirals may well have truth to them. Needless to say, Spirit-Kin possesses some potent advantages, though must face a few unique problems. If it needs to be said (and it probably does), Spirit-Kin are damned rare, especially since less than one in one hundred such unions produce offspring, and less that a twentieth of these are Spirit-Kin offspring (the rest are normal spirits); any Storyteller that populates every sept and pack with Spirit-Kin, or that allows a player to take this Merit without a damned good story-based reason is missing the frigging point of the Merit.
There are certain characteristics that are universal among Spirit-Kin. First, all Spirit-Kin wear their heritage openly, whether they wish to or not. While she may look normal in her Homid and animal forms, the "in-between" forms of a Spirit-Kin reflects the appearance of her spirit parent. While there are too many possibilities to to list, characteristics can include odd fur color, feathers, hooves, horns, fins, glowing eyes, and residual wings.
Micheal decides to make a Spirit-Kin character named Eyes-of-Athena, a Black Fury whose mother fell in love with an Owl-spirit. He looks at the description of the Owl Totem, and decides he likes the premonition effect, which reflects the guidance of Athena's wisdom. Micheal chooses that, and spends three freebie to "boost" the Merit's benefits, gaining the temporary Wisdom bonus associated with the totem. Micheal asks his Storyteller Mary if he can gain owl wings for his character by spending more freebie; she denies this request, not wanting to make the character too powerful, but says she'll allow Micheal to learn Spirit of the Bird at Rank 2 at "in-tribe" costs from an owl-spirit. As a weakness, he decides Eyes-of-Athena has large, yellow eyes in all forms, including Homid; Mary agrees, liking the tie-in with the name and knowing (despite what Micheal might think) that the Garou can't always wear shades. As an effect of being associated with the Owl Totem, Silent Striders tend to treat Eyes-of-Athena with goodwill, while associates of Rat (including Bone Gnawers and Ratkin) will be suspicious of her. Micheal begins making a sketch of his character in Crinos form, which has clumps of black feathers blended with her jet coat, a small beak-like muzzle, and a general owl-like appearance.
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Spirit-Kin of Breeds normally unable to enter the Umbra normally (like Bastet, Mokole and Rokea) can do so, just as if they were Garou; this is an enormous boon for them, which is why Spirit-Kin is a 7-pt. Merit for them, and the player of such an oddball must pick two disadvantages instead of one (see below). Garou, Nuwisha and others blessed with natural Umbral access only have to spend 5 freebie. The character's base Gnosis is increased by 1. She naturally favors the spirit-world over the physical, and finds it difficult to spend prolonged periods outside the Umbra; the character can't regain Gnosis in the mundane realm, and loses one point of Gnosis for every full twenty-four hours spent there (the Storyteller keeps a cumulative, running total of the time spent in the mundane). Needless to say, most Spirit-Kin live in the Umbra and make jaunts into the physical only when necessary. When piercing the Gauntlet to travel into the Umbra, decrease difficulties by 1; however, increase the Gauntlet by an equal amount when the characters attempts to enter the physical world.
The character is well-accepted by spirits to whom he is related, and by spirits and Shifters allied with his spirit relation. Traditional foes of that spirit will see the character in an unfavorable light. The Storyteller may simulate this through Social roll benefits or penalties, as appropriate.
Every Spirit-Kin is unique, owing to the particulars of her spirit parent. Pick one physical characteristic possessed by that spirit, or Charm, or one natural ability; if the spirit is one listed as a Totem or has a Totem equivalent (or Jamak), the player may choose a benefit related to that spirit. The player may opt to spend extra freebie on the Merit for an extra benefit or one truly powerful ability (no more than 2 or 3, though). By making a successful Gnosis roll (and possibly having to spend temporary Gnosis for especially potent abilities, Storyteller's call), the character may activate that characteristic; Charms may be used once this way (and are considered extra Gifts), while advantages like wings, horns, increased running speed or water-breathing last for the duration of the scene. The player must also pick one disadvantage related to the spirit as well (or two, if the character's Breed normally doesn't have the natural ability to step sideways); it's not all roses, folks.
Storytellers: Just so you'll know, I'm not trying to break your game, here, but offer new character possibilities and standardize the benefits of similar Merits seen in varied Werewolf publications. Beware those who attempt to double-up on totem benefits (they don't stack anyway, folks), or pick powerful spirit-fathers only for the benefits. Also, no totem or jamak will accept a supplicant of an enemy or antagonistic spirit; Gaian spirits won't accept Bane-Kin, Rat won't accept a child of an Owl-spirit, etc. And some combinations just ain't gonna happen; pray tell, why would a Tiger-spirit or Pattern Spider or Nexus Crawler let a werewolf have its way with it, and how exactly would mating with a Fire Elemental not inflict fatal burns? So Storytellers should liberally employ discretion, here; when in doubt, just say "no". While I want people to use my work in their games, I don't want to do so at the expense of your game's balance or believability.
Metis may not take this Merit. (One of the parents must be a spirit, which rules out both parents being Fera.) In addition, this Merit and the Weak Reaching may not be possessed by the same character. A character must have the Spirit Heritage Background at least a 3 to buy this Merit; a point or two Touched would be appropriate, as well, though isn't required.
Stunted Healing (3- or 5-pt. Physical Flaw)
As a 3-pt. Flaw, the character heals at a reduced rate, recovering a level of bashing or lethal damage per minute instead of per turn. Healing during combat or other strenuous activity is possible, but the character can only attempt to do so once per minute, and the Stamina roll difficulty is 8. The 5-pt. version of Stunted Healing means the character has no regenerative ability at all, in any form, and must use the mortal healing charts. This Flaw doesn't affect the healing times for aggravated damage.
Either version of this Flaw may be taken as a Metis Disfigurement.
Kitsune may not take Stunted Healing as a Flaw or Disfigurement, as they already suffer from a similar weakness.
Weak Reaching (1- or 3-pt. Supernatural Flaw)
Due to a lack of ephemera in your makeup, you have difficulty traversing the Gauntlet and accessing the Umbra. For all purposes, the Gauntlet is considered one higher than normal, with a maximum possible rating of 10. You must spend a Gnosis point to step sideways, on top of having to make a Gnosis roll to do so (using the higher difficulty); however, you may make the Gnosis roll first, and need not spend Gnosis if the attempt would have been a failure. You suffer a one-die penalty to Social rolls with spirits not familiar with you, which can make learning Gifts a bit of a challenge, and potentially with others that value the spirit world important (such as Theurges, Uktena and Nuwisha).
For those that have the ability to traverse the Gauntlet normally (such as Garou, Nuwisha and Corax), Weak Reaching is a 3-pt. Flaw. For those who must learn Gifts to step sideways, like Bastet and Mokole, the Flaw is worth only 1 freebie. Spirit-Kin (see the Merit, above) may not take this Flaw.
Go to the Werewolf index.
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